1914
The White Sox returned home from their around-the-world series of exhibition games against the New York Giants. The Sox went 24-20-2, but the added 46 games took their toll when the regular season began in late April. For the year, the Sox would end up in sixth place, 30 games out with a record of 70-84-3.

In each of the three years previous, the White Sox were better than .500, at 77 or 78 wins — and 1914 would end up as just the third losing season in franchise history.

Among the players who participated in the exhibition series was New York’s Jim Thorpe, regarding as the greatest athlete in the world at that time because of his Olympic success.

The ship that brought the White Sox back to the U.S.? None other than the Lusitania — the ship sunk by a German torpedo little more than a year after the White Sox returned home safely from their world tour.

2006
Chicago native born in the shadow of Comiskey Park in the Robert Taylor Homes complex, Calumet High/Bradley University/Triton College product Kirby Puckett died after a stroke in Phoenix, at age 45. Puckett was a beloved player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately after his five years of retirement were up, although his legacy has since been tarnished by the revelations of chronic domestic abuse.

Puckett was a storied overachiever, however, honored as an high school All-American baseball player but garnering no interest from major league teams upon graduation. Only after he was laid off by Ford Motors (he was a carpet installer) did Puckett attend a Kansas City Royals tryout camp, which led to scholarships to play baseball at Bradley and Triton.

Only Lou Gehrig died at a younger age as a living Hall-of-Famer than Puckett, and no player in the “modern era” of a five-year waiting period for the Hall has died younger.

2012
The first game ever at Marlins Park, an exhibition game vs. the University of Miami, had a decided White Sox flavor. Legendary starter Mark Buehrle made his debut for the Marlins, throwing three innings and giving up three runs on four hits. He started the game in Buehrle-esque fashion, however, retiring the first seven batters.

“Against minor league guys I don’t fare too well, so I was kind of nervous facing college guys, thinking it was going to be even worse,” Buehrle told reporters afterward. “Three runs is pretty good. I’ll take that any day.”

The first home run in the new park was hit by Marlin Hanley Ramírez, off of Alex Fernandez Jr. — son of former White Sox and Marlins ace Alex Fernandez.

The retractable roof needed to be closed prior to the night game, as rain started falling 30 minutes before first pitch. Several players bounced batting practice home runs off of the art deco home run sculpture in center field as well.

The Marlins eked out the win, 7-6, giving skipper Ozzie Guillén his first of not-many future Ws in Miami.

2026
Curtis Mead became the first of the five active White Sox in (six, including 44-year-old Alexei Ramírez of Cuba) to make an impact in the World Baseball Classic, with a three-run homer in the third inning of Australia’s 5-1 win over Czechia.

The home run didn’t come without drama, as Mead fell behind, 0-2, fought for his life on three straight foul balls, and then after one fastball well out of the zone clobbered an 81.2 mph, center-cut changeup.

Previous Winner

Brailer Guerrero, OF
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | .249/.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA

Good news: the $3.7 million 2023 signee made the leap out of the complex league in his final teenage season. Bad News: He was injured yet again, with hamstring and knee injuries limiting him to 51 games for Charleston. The Rays tried to make up for lost time with an aggressive assignment to the AFL that resulted in only two hits in 29 plate appearances. He makes loud contact from a quick, quiet swing which he pre-loads by reaching back for even more power. He appears to make early decisions to swing, leading to a bit extra whiffs against anything off-speed, but that could easily clear up with some consistent playing time.

Brailer broke through in this poll, despite some noise from (finally) Brayden Taylor. My vote is currently stuck on Mesa Jr, who has a MLB floor with his defense, particularly for the Rays, but I could be persuaded to vote for Taylor. Next round, we add likely major leaguer Alex Cook.

Candidates

Fabricio Blanco, SS
17 | S/R | 5’11” | 161

A bat-first middle infielder, the Venezuelan is an elite prospect within the context of the international signing process, with some believing he’s the best Rays signee this off-season, despite gathering only a $1 million bonus. He can barrel up from both sides of the plate, but may settle into a right handed swing in the long term, with quick hands. He has the ability and instincts to stick at short, with a high-IQ approach and gritty demeanor.

Alex Cook, RHP
25 | 6’2” | 220
AA | 2.30 ERA, 2.29 FIP, 15.2 IP (13 G), 30.5% K, 5.1% BB

The Rays added Cook to the 40-man roster this off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, despite only throwing 20 innings (if you include four appearances in the complex league) after a slow start to the season. Cook attempted to convert to starting in 2024 and succumbed to a should injury, but bounced back in the bullpen in 2025 throwing 99 mph — and he has shown up to camp continuing to pitch with confidence. He has plus control and command, with stuff that leans into his low release point, including a cut-ride fastball and two-plane slider, and an MLB average cutter to prevent platoon slit problems. He should slot into high leverage for Durham and ride the shuttle in 2026.

Cooper Flemming, SS
19 | L/R | 6’3” | 190

One of the best high school bats in the 2025 draft, Flemming surprisingly fell into the Rays laps in the second round. He has a too-quiet swing that lacks the load necessary to hit for power, but he’s historically compensated for that with a high contact rate that would have rated him as first round material if his defense projected to stick. The Rays were able to convince him to forgo an education at Vanderbilt by going above slot ($2.3m, Comp-A money).

Taitn Gray, 1B/OF/C
18 | S/R | 6’4” | 220

The Rays 86th overall pick in 2025, Gray fell to the third round due to some concern about whether he will stick at catcher, but that buries the lead. Still just 17 at the time of the draft, Gray showed up to the Rays organization and proved his rumored power was real, running exit velocities up to 115 mph from both sides of the plate, although the left handed swing is sweeter. He has plus athleticism, which elevated his bat speed, foot speed, and fluidity — despite his size. It will be interesting to see where the Rays deploy him on defense, but it’s a great bat to dream on.

Victor Mesa Jr., OF
24 | L/L | 5’11” | 195
AAA (MIA) | .301/.368/.510 (136 wRC+) 171 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.4% K
MLB (MIA) | 6 H (1 HR), 5 BB, 5 K (81 wRC+) 38 PA

This Cuban power bat already made his major league debut with Miami last year after bouncing back from a spring hamstring injury, and was dealt to the Rays in February. He profiles as a fourth outfielder but has an option remaining, so the organization may send him down for regular playing time and one last chance for something more in development. If not, he’s a center field capable on defense, which goes a long way for a platoon bat. In the running for the nicest guy in baseball.

Austin Overn, OF
23 | L/R | 6’0” | 175
A+ (BAL) | .242/.367/.386 (127 wRC+) 341 PA, 8 HR, 43 SB, 15.5% BB, 28.2% K
AA (BAL) | .266/.326/.427 (112 wRC+) 136 PA, 5 HR, 21 SB, 6.6% BB, 25.0% K

Acquired in the Shane Baz trade, Overn was once a top draft prospect after committing to baseball over football at USC, but surprisingly struggled as a draft-eligible sophomore. That didn’t stop Baltimore from taking him in the third round (97th overall) in 2024. Now a professional, Overn overhauled his swing in the first half of 2025, and earned an early promotion to Double-A for his efforts, where he didn’t look overmatched. His biggest threat is his speed, which raises his floor and gives him an easy projection to a major league bench thanks to plus defensive instincts (BA gave 70’s to his run and field tools). His offensive profile is buoyed by his ability to work the count, but evaluators would like to see him punish fastballs more often for him to be considered a regular.

Émilien Pitre, 2B
23 | L/R | 5’11” | 185
A+ | .268/.356/.393 (122 wRC+) 524 PA, 9 HR, 14 SB, 11.6% BB, 20.4% K

The Rays 58th overall pick in 2024, Pitre has risen on draft boards through a strong performance in the Cape Cod league in 2023, but the power was a real question mark on his profile. Now given a chance to develop as a professional, he wouldn’t be the first to add muscle. His run and hit tools are plus, with a well coiled swing and solid contact in and out of zone. He’s too old to return to High-A and it be viewed as positive. His power stroke will be the key to his success in 2026.

Adrian Santana, SS
20 | S/R | 5’11” | 155
A+ | .263/.324/.326 (94 wRC+) 409 PA, 2 HR, 47 SB, 8.6% BB, 12.0% K

Once a top-ten or so prospect in 2024, Santana fell off our site’s 2025 list after failing to clear as an honorable mention. Why? The switch-hitting slick fielding short stop was the Rays 31st overall pick in 2023 but has delivered sub-100 wRC+ each stop of his career, although that got closer than ever last season, his third as a professional and his third as a teenager in the Rays system. Could expectations be too high on his bat? He has plus athleticism, is learning to wheelhouse, and has “acrobatic” defense at the hardest position in the game, with 98 swiped bags over the last two seasons. What happens if he survives the test of Double-A breaking balls?

Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | L/R | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K

Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after demolishing High-A (154 wRC+), and left 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, although he was selected as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star” in between, where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard hit rate high. The juice must have been worth the squeeze, as the Rays have elected to invite Taylor to major league Spring Training this year.

Victor Valdez, SS
17 | R/R | 6’1” | 186

A pretty swing with a low whiff rate earned Valdez a big payday this winter — $3.5 million — with as good of a power projection as you can reasonably ask for from a a teenage bat, having been given a 25+ home run projection by Baseball America, who also praise his plus foot speed, bat speed, and control of the zone. Reports say he has ever improving lateral movements on defense, with smooth actions and a strong arm. If it all clicks, it’s a middle-of-the-order bat on the left side of the infield. At signing, the Rays gave him a comp to Francisco Lindor. It will be interesting to see if his first professional season can solidify the five tool profile.

When the Mets signed Kodai Senga to a five-year, $75 million contract, it signaled the team’s first swing move in the international market in years and generated a lot of excitement, even resulting in an A+ grade from Amazin’ Avenue’s Lukas Vlahos. It’s hard to argue with the hype: His ghost fork was already regarded as one of the most dangerous and unique pitches in the world, and a $15 million AAV for a player with ace potential is something you can’t find in modern baseball. It’s hard to find anything to complain about with the move.

Senga made waves with a stellar rookie campaign, coming in second in NL Rookie of the Year voting while striking out 200+ batters—he remains the most recent Met to punch out 200 hitters. His ghost fork was as advertised and, in a year where there was little to cheer for, fans reveled in sporting ghost fork merch as the Citi Field scoreboard flashed the “Senga” graphic with the Sega Genesis sound effect accompanying it. Senga Fever quickly overtook the Flushing Faithful, and it seemed the Mets had found the ace to take up the mantle from Jacob deGrom, who departed the previous offseason.

Unfortunately, his journey since then has been nothing sort of rocky following his eye-opening first season. He pitched just 5 1/3 innings in the 2024 regular season due to a right shoulder posterior capsule strain suffered in February, and a high-grade calf strain suffered during his one (1) regular season start, which came in late July. He returned for the postseason and made three appearances (two starts), allowing seven earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts over five innings. He was mostly an afterthought in the team’s World Series push, which concluded with a loss to the Dodgers in six games in the NLCS.

Last year was a tale of two halves for Senga, who looked like an early Cy Young hopeful until he exited his June 12 start with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, and then was largely unplayable upon his return in July. In his first 13 starts, he posted a sparkling 1.47 ERA and a 3.24 FIP, with a 23.9% K% and a 10.6% BB% in 73 2/3 innings. His season was derailed by an errant throw to first from Pete Alonso, which forced Senga to stretch awkwardly and resulted in the aforementioned hamstring injury. The rest, as they say, is history. He returned on July 11 and made just nine starts the rest of the way, posting a 5.90 ERA and a 4.69 FIP, with a 20.6% K% and a 12.6% BB% in 39 2/3 innings. He lost the confidence of his skipper and the club, so much so that he was asked to accept a Triple-A assignment, which he agreed to. His last regular season start was on August 31, and he spent all of September unsuccessfully trying to find himself in Syracuse. He allowed five earned runs on nine hits over 9 2/3 innings in two starts in the minors to close out the year.

From that point forward, it was fair to wonder whether Senga would ever return to his 2023 form over the final two years of his contract. Senga remained with the club beyond his 2025 opt out, which would have kicked in had he recorded 400 innings over his first three seasons. Despite his 166 1/3 innings in 2023, his lost 2024 season made that opt out a non-factor, and he finished 2025 with 285 major league innings under his belt. Heading into the offseason, the club made it known that Senga as someone they would listen to in trades, with Jeff Passan even adding in an offseason piece that, “multiple executives expect him to be traded this winter as the Mets look to overhaul their rotation.”.

However, the offseason came and went without anything materializing. It’s unclear whether the club seriously discussed the right-hander with any teams, though Senga made it clear to the Mets that he wanted to stay. In any event, it’s hard to imagine there weren’t teams out there willing to take a chance on $30 million over two years on a pitcher with a lethal ghost fork and an ace-like ceiling. More likely, the Mets either decided his value was greater on their team than the return they would have received, or the offers were so non-competitive that trade discussions never progressed.

That brings us to today, with Senga still on the roster and in came with the Mets to start spring training. His presence has been a constant source of questions for manager Carlos Mendoza, who has affirmed that the team has six starters. This seems to suggest that Senga is still a part of the team’s plans, and they will move forward with the six starters they have, including Senga. That makes Senga something of a wild card for the team. Unlikely to slot at the front of a rotation that features newly-acquired ace Freddy Peralta and young up-and-comer Nolan McLean, Senga offers enticing potential at a still relatively-affordable price point.

When asked about his goals for 2026, Senga candidly (and perhaps comedically) answered “to not get injured”. It’s a simple goal, but an important one. Given his first half last season, there is still proof that if he’s healthy and on a regular routine and schedule, he can be one of the best pitchers in the sport, a fantastic tool in Mendoza’s belt to use once a week and help push the Mets towards a playoff spot. If he succumbs to injuries yet again, however, he can quickly become another forgotten pitcher whose impact will long be forgotten, with someone like Jonah Tong ready to take his spot.

Mendoza has been extremely positive on Senga, saying that what he’s seen from the right-hander is “probably the best I’ve seen him since I’ve been here around this time”. This follows his positive review of his first bullpen session back in February, where Senga was seen throwing around 96-97 miles-per-hour, which resulted in Mendoza calling it a good sign before adding, “it was good to see him go out there with intensity and throwing the ball the way he did.”

Part of this is probably the third-year manager playing the role of hype man and lending support to his player in his time of need, but it should at least lend some excitement that Senga could finally put together a season similar to his rookie campaign. If he can be anything remotely close to that, it could (and should) give the Mets one of the most lethal rotations in the sport. Here’s to hoping that Senga, who figures to slot somewhere in the middle to back-end of the team’s six-man rotation, can realize his 2026 goal of remaining on the field.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, March 6, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays, March 6, 2026, 1:07 p.m. ET

Location: TD Ballpark, Dunedin, Florida

How to Watch: Sportsnet ONE

The Pittsburgh Pirates are splitting the team up, with half staying home to face the Phillies and the other traveling to visit the Blue Jays.

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Despite a dramatic midseason battle for first, the NL East was fairly clear cut for most of last season. 

At the end of May, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets were tied in a dead-heat, and the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Nationals had all started a downward trend out of contention. By the end of July, the Phillies’ and Mets’ fortunes began to split. The teams were within a half game of each other on August 1st, but the Phillies pulled away and never looked back, finishing in first place, 12 games ahead of the Mets. 

Ultimately, the NL East yielded only one playoff team in 2025. The Braves hobbled out of the gate, plagued by injuries. The Mets imploded down the stretch, despite a stacked roster. But betting odds predict a brighter future for those two teams and the reigning division champs. Following the two-team race to the division crown for most of last season, things in the NL East could look a lot closer in 2026, with the potential for three teams to push for the postseason.

Atlanta Braves

2025 Record: 76-86 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 89.1 wins

Key Additions: Walt Weiss (Manager), Robert Suarez, Mike Yastrzemski, Ha-Seong Kim

Key Departures: Marcell Ozuna, Alek Manoah

The Braves were as consistent as it gets in divisional dominance and playoff berths, so last year was a rough break from the norm.

Coming into 2025, Atlanta was riding a seven-year postseason streak, winning the NL East in six of those seasons. Unfortunately, they were doomed by a challenging start that they couldn’t quite shake. They lost their first seven games to begin the year and were plagued by injuries and absences throughout: Ronald Acuña Jr. started his year on the IL; Jurickson Profar was suspended for the first 80 games;  and a bulk of the rotation (Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenback, and Spencer Strider) was limited throughout the season. 

The team’s focus for 2026 will be to get healthy and back on track. They’ll also have a new skipper at the helm looking to right the ship as Brian Snitker, the team’s manager for the last 10 seasons, was replaced by long-time bench coach (and Rockies’ legend) Walt Weiss. Weiss is hoping for fireworks from a “gauntlet” of a lineup, banking on Acuña Jr. and a slew of others to return to form offensively. 

Unfortunately for Atlanta, breaking news this week forecasts another lineup hurdle. Profar will yet again be suspended for violating the league’s PED policy, this time for a full 162 games plus bans from the World Baseball Classic and the postseason. 

The Braves will hope to avoid another avalanche of bad news. If they can weather the loss of Profar and ongoing injuries to the pitching core, they may have enough talent to make a run at the division. 

Miami Marlins

2025 Record: 79-83 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 73.9 wins

Key Additions: Christopher Morel, Esteury Ruiz, Chris Paddack

Key Departures: Edward Cabrera, Eric Wagaman

Although Miami posted a losing season in 2025, it in many ways was a win. Last year was about carving out a path to the future holistically. The team lost GM Kim Ng at the end of the 2023 season and parted ways with manager Skip Schumaker after 2024. In all of the chaos, they went 62-100 in the 2024 campaign, so 2025’s 79 wins were a marked improvement. 

That being said, there is little optimism that the Marlins will make a similar jump or seriously compete this season. 

The Fish didn’t make a big splash in the offseason, sticking with a handful of lateral moves. With that, they retain a roster very similar to last year’s and are one of just four teams with zero players on ESPN’s Top 100 list. They were right around or under the league average in a number of key batting and pitching stats, so the lack of an influx of talent doesn’t inspire confidence in a win increase. Rather, they will rely on youth and upside, building towards long-term stability. 

New York Mets

2025 Record: 83-79 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 89.0 wins

Key Additions: Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Freddy Peralta, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco

Key Departures: Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Starling Marte, Cedric Mullins

There’s a new look in Queens as the Mets have retooled while still maintaining high expectations. 

The Mets pushed all of their chips in (figuratively and financially) when signing Juan Soto for $765 million over 15 years heading into 2025. Soto is a top-5, MVP-caliber player, so pairing him with a core of Alonso, Nimmo, and Lindor should have been a recipe for success. 

Things were going well in the Big Apple… until they weren’t. 

Despite rocketing out to 45 wins and a 5.5 game lead on the division, things fell apart as the season went on. New York would finish 13 games behind Philadelphia in the division, while losing out to the Cincinnati Reds for a Wild Card spot. 

The Mets will look to find a path into the postseason with a brand new core. In addition to retooling their roster, they’ve revamped their coaching staff with a slew of changes in key positions. Fortunately, it’s a talent-out, talent-in situation, and the team shouldn’t lose much steam despite a sporting different look. The addition of a number of big names should allow the team to pick up where they left off and try their hand at competing for the NL pennant. 

Philadelphia Phillies

2025 Record: 96-66 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 85.6 wins

Key Additions: Adolis Garcia, Brad Keller

Key Departures: Nick Castellanos, Harrison Bader, Walker Buehler

As the reigning division champs, the Phillies’ offseason was less defined by sweeping change and more by consistency. They feel they have what it takes to strike while their window of contention is firmly open. 

Despite losing a good bat (and questionable clubhouse presence) in Castellanos, they re-signed both Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto to run things back with the same cast of characters that locked up the 2-seed in the last playoff field

Schwarber will lead the way in batting after leading the NL in homers and RBI. The Fighting Phils finished second in the league in hits, third in batting average, fourth in OPS. They weren’t too shabby on the mound either, finishing top-10 in ERA, top-3 in saves, and first overall in FIP. 

A well-balanced attack on both sides of the ball with little roster turnover should position Philadelphia at the top of both the East and the league. 

Washington Nationals

2025 Record: 66-96 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 66.2 wins

Key Additions: Miles Mikolas, Harry Ford

Key Departures: MacKenzie Gore, Paul DeJong, Josh Bell

The Nats flirted with a 100-loss season in a year full of growing pains. But growing pains are to be expected with a youth movement and the Nats are fully leaning further into that this year, starting at the top. In the offseason, Washington hired 31-year-old Anirudh Kilambi as the new GM and 33-year-old Blake Butera as manager. 

One of their primary roster acquisitions was 23-year-old catcher Harry Ford, adding a highly-touted prospect to the pipeline. 

Continuing the trend throughout the roster, the team sent 2025 Opening Day starter MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers for prospects with the idea that young guns will get the bulk of starts in the year ahead, learning on the job. The pitching rotation is in desperate need of development, posting the league’s second highest ERA last year. They have a handful of pitchers climbing the ranks, but many of these prospects aren’t expected to join the big leagues until 2027, at the earliest. 

For now, Washington will embrace “wait and see” mode. 

Who do you think will win the NL East this year? Do you think the NL East will send multiple teams to the postseason? Let us know!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Last week I asked who is the most underrated player on this Royals team. But who is the most underrated player in franchise history?

The Royals have had unheralded players come up with big hits in key situations, guys like Buddy Biancalana, Dane Iorg, and Christian Colon. They have had really good players that just played on a lot of bad teams, like Kevin Appier, Jeff Montgomery, and Mike Sweeney. Or maybe it is someone forgotten over time, great players from the early days of the franchise like Amos Otis, John Mayberry, Paul Splittorff, Dennis Leonard, or Steve Busby.

Who is the most underrated player in Royals history?